Experience with AA Online?

The Big Book does mention Modem to Modem. Not all are able to attend F2F and if I can help online, I will. I am responsible no matter where or when someone reaches for help.

I'm sober now four years, and I began my sober journey via the Internet so I owe a lot to online AA groups. As our Big Book says: Face to face or modem to modem. Not everyone is blessed to have local meetings and I am responsible for the hand and that includes a cyber hand.

I remember encouraging a lady online after she had just relapsed years ago, by sending her a subscription to the Grapevine. I didn't know her other than our brief conversations online, she lived somewhere in Arizonia, and she felt bad as again being a newcomer, the best encouragement I could offer was to be kind and send a year subscription to the Grapevine, I hope it helped her stay sober one day at a time, it has helped me throughout my days sober. today is 9,539 and Thank God for direction that day of gift subscription.

Hello. Anyone here?

I have been though the AA gauntlet. The process is a good and an honest one. I am just one of those who simply gives in to the urge to have a drink too quickly. I just came off a solid month of not drinking; working out semi regularly, eating well, not spending money foolishly. Then bang! Here I am, 4-18-13 feeling bad because last night and the night before I went out--to my sneak joints--and dropped over 400.00 on "irresponsible thrills" and beer. Today I am sitting here at 11:30AM deciding if I should cancel a tutoring session because of my self disgust. I need to stop this!.

It seems to me that all the online AA meetings out there occur through chat and message boards. That is a great start, but it seems that you lose some of the benefits of in person meetings (eye-contact, seeing people's gestures, etc). Are there any online groups that allow for live video meetings? If not, is this something that you think people would use and find value in?

The only requirement for membership in an AA Group is the desire to stop drinking. However this desire is useless unless it is qualified as being 'willing to go to ANY lengths' as far as Sobriety is concerned. 'Membership' alone is never enough. The AA Program involves Action and more action, an ongoing process of recovery. It is a way of life. One may have a pass to a theater seat, but no performance is seen unless they actually go to the Theater and use it.

I was thinking about me possibly being an alcoholic, I am still fighting with the denial stage.."I can handle a few drinks." You know the drill...I am starting to face the so very ugly truth, that NOONE wants to face...I drink to get drunk...why?? Why am I not normal? Why cant I just have 1 or 2 drinks, like most of my friends...what is wrong with me? I looked for AA online, cause I live out in the boonies...can find nothing, just posted this...for the hell of it I guess

The Traditions of AA also prevent us from enforcement of them. This works no hardship for those sincerely seeking recovery from Alcoholism however. I personally was gifted with the necessary willingness to go to any lengths to Stop Drinking, and for those who aren't willing to do anything but offer excuses why they cannot attend real AA meetings -- the Internet serves them adequately, making it possible to connect with other habitual slippers to share their misery with. 'Co-miserating' seems to be the common thread in the online formats; 'my dog's grandmother died and I wanna use!' (USE??) I never needed , nor looked for any excuses to drink. I simply drank. Of course, one needs seek no reason to recover either.

Good Morning Lance A. from Missouri. I do hope you made it through your tough day. This morning I was reading your post. Your not alone my friend. I do remember days just like that and it can be tough. It does sounds like you have good intention staying sober.............I went two years dry with no serenity or peace of mind "the thought to drink was continuously on my mind", I didn't follow the suggestion and had the same excuse about getting a sponsor...."I havent found the right one" or " I'm not calling this guy he dosent know me or how I'm feeling"...... eventually I went back to my old ways. Telling myself I was better and I didnt need this program anymore and Guess what happen Lance A.??? That monster you know came back and it really got bad, worse than before.............I had to findly through in the towel give it to my Higher Power and took the suggestion and followed through with the steps. I didn't want to, you know how we are!!! But I was so desperate and tired of the monster on my back!!!I finaly became willing to do what ever it took to change. The obsession to drink was removed from my crazy thinking after so many years. It truly is a blessing and I'm so thankful today!!! Listen to friend who cares about you. Get a sponsor and work those steps.

Wishing you the best.

Sincerely,

A member of AA

Martin I.
Jackson, MS

I have been sober for almost a year, March 6th is my birthday. Today has been the toughest day for me since I went into recovery last year. I drove by my old club today three times, just itching to go in and have a drink. I kept saying the serenity prayer and remembering what my bottom was like and it kept the monster on my back asleep for one more day. I am a dry drunk and do not have a sponsor, however I do try to attend meetings, between work, school, my wife and kids, and church. I know I need to get a sponsor, but I just have not found that right person yet. After today, I am going to look a lot harder. I know my Higher Power is walking with me, but I also know its up to me to listen to him! God Bless all of You.

Lance A an alcoholic from Missouri.

When I finally hit bottom and lost everything, I had to move in with my mother(my biggest trigger), she was ill, I was ill, I was a nurse so it seemed logical to do. As I packed up my house, weeping and mourning everything I had lost, I finally realized I had two choices. Drink until I died or get sober. I decided to get sober and I sought online AA groups since leaving my mother alone, was not an option. I found several groups, in Yahoo groups and other places. These groups saved my life. I could not get out to meetings but I found that joining these groups kept AA in my life, all day long. I got emails from group members, I got meetings online. I even found a group that you could post to live. It was not all sunshine and sobriety, but it was real. I will admit, there is a little more room for drama, when the forum is text on a screen, but sometimes drama is part of face to face groups too. I quit a group that got really weird and off program. I took over a group that was floundering. I participated in women's only groups and groups for everyone. The minute I was able to go to face to face meetings I did but I am so grateful for the online groups.

What Have you ever heard said to a youngster in AA?
The other day I heard a bleeding deacon say to a 16 yr old at a meeting " Awwww i have spilled more booze than you have ever seen! This completely made my blood boil, so i stepped back. paused, quick serenity prayer!
Then Walked right between them and asked if I could speak to the youngster outside. thank goodness he said yes. I spent the next few minutes explaining that there are still sick people in AA even tho they haven't drank in many a year doesn't mean that there a working the program of AA, and this gentleman was obviously work his program and not ours! I could see a that the words made him feel a bit more at ease. Then laughing inside i quoted my sponsor "take what you can use and leave the frigin rest there" That sentence change my entire recovery!!

Everone needs someone or somthing to complain to !!!!
Makes no difference where ya at or what you do if you come to give rather than get.

AA Online is the name of a chat site which has unfortunately fooled a lot of newcomers into believing they are a real AA group, and operate within AA Traditions. Sadly, this form of subterfuge helps no one. People who are unable or unwilling to seek a real walk-in AA meeting frequent the place, spewing their sick ideas about 'recovery' endlessly. The place appears to be managed by Alanon members who alternately scold, then coddle ((((((((((hugs))))))))) (gag!) Posting readings from Hazelden and other Bible-based literature, then responding sometimes with outright hostility toward the Big Book shows their deeper animosity toward Alcoholics Anonymous in general. "Step Chat" has displayed not less than a 'reign of terror' against anyone who might suggest that someone find an AA Group in the town they live in. There is no 'online recovery'

I was saving the world from Y2K in 1999, spent six months traveling, away from my home. And I sure did find some wonderful F2F meetings in my travels, great people, great recovery -- it was really nice. But I could not always make a meeting, sometimes worked late, and got to the hotel late, and often I just didn't know where too many meetings were.

And that is where online AA came through. It was great.

All I needed was a puter and I was on my way. I have been in mtgs with people from all over the world, all at the same time, once including a person who lived a block from my home -- isn't that just the best? What a hoot! The online group I "went to" was well attended, and well organized; the "chair" of the mtg determined who would "speak" next, and no one else could type to the screen while that person was typing.

I loved it.

It's obviously not for everyone. You need a computer (duh) and an internet connection (duh2). And I suspect that people who do not type fast might not feel that they're adequately able to express themselves. That never was a problem for me, and maybe isn't for others -- it's not like I "heard" anyone say that in those mtgs, just something I've wondered about.

I have not done it in years, maybe even not at all since 1999.

I happen to love AA, in all its permutations. You gave me my life, and one sponsor in particular, I just owe it to Life to pass on to others what he so willingly gave to me.

In my experience, The Language Of The Heart comes across loud and clear in words freshly minted on a bright screen.

I wish you all a great day, whatever day it is you are reading this.

anon
Austin

My name is Samuel and I am an alcoholic. I am grateful to be sober today thanks to AA. I have been participating in AA online for about 3 years and it works well for me. I attend AA meetings in chat rooms online and also have a subscription to the Grapevine. My internet connection just went down on my computer so next month I hope to buy a smartphone so I can continue to listen to the Audio Grapevine and participate in online AA meetings. I am at a local public library typing this. I am keeping in touch with the AA member I am working the steps with in email right now. I am grateful to be sober today.

Experience with AA Online? "BETTER THAN BEING OFF LINE"

I am an alcoholic and a food addict. I have nothing but gratitude for AA Online. I am 8 + years sober by God's grace and with the help of this AA program.

In 2004, I was traveling continuously for my job and there was no way I could reliably get to meetings. I found my sponsor Becky in a meeting run by email. We stayed together for my whole first year in AA until I could get to conventional meetings.

Those email meetings saved my life. Now when I go to meetings and say I came into AA through email, people just drop their jaws in disbelief. But it's not the medium, it's the message. It works if you work it, not matter how you get it. Keep coming back.

One disgruntled member has frequently posted diatribes critical of AA’s present form. In one particular rant he made reference to a court ruling which supposedly rule that AA was a religion. Even a casual observer would know that that is not true but our courts have made wackier rulings so I thought I should look it up. Read the ruling carefully: “Though AA itself was not deemed a religion”. stands out.
The rulling from the 9th circuit, pertained to forcing inmates, parolees, and probationers
into AA. This only proves that if you tell the same lie enought times many will begin to believe its true.

United States Court rulings
United States courts have ruled that inmates, parolees, and probationers cannot be ordered to attend AA. Though AA itself was not deemed a religion, it was ruled that it contained enough religious components (variously described in GRIFFIN v. COUGHLIN below as, inter alia, "religion", "religious activity", "religious exercise") to make coerced attendance at AA meetings a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the constitution.[76][77] In September 2007, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit stated that a parole office can be sued for ordering a parolee to attend AA.[78][79]

I just recently left treatment and I have 28 days sober. Does anyone have any experience doing sponsorship online? Is having an online sponsor realistic?

As part of a class i took for work, i had to participate in a chat room with other classmates for credit in the class. That was my first time communicating online with something other than email. So recently I found out about I-Say and have begun to participate.
I have to admit, that after reading some older posts, that I like to post a question or statement and read the responses(ego!). I still get a good laugh at my self-centered nature.
That being said, I would like a link or just a post from the grapevine of the numbers of AA members who may log on and read comments on I-say but might not post. I don't now if its 100 log on or 1,000,000.
So if anyone has those #'s or could steer my in the right direction, it would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks